Maryland Cottage Food Law: Labels, Limits & When You Need Nutrition Facts

Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources

Maryland’s cottage food business rule lets you sell non-potentially hazardous foods directly to consumers with no permit, capped at $50,000 in annual gross revenue today, a cap that rises to $100,000 on 1 Oct 2026. The one label rule that matters most: every package needs a specific disclosure sentence, printed in 10-point type or larger in a contrasting color, and the wording isn’t optional. A Nutrition Facts panel built to 21 CFR 101.9 only becomes necessary once you make a nutrient content or health claim, cross the revenue cap, or sell outside Maryland.

Quick facts	Maryland
Revenue cap	$50,000/yr → $100,000 (1 Oct 2026)
Permit or registration	None for direct sales; retail needs MDH review
Sales channels	Direct, farmers markets, retail (in-state)
Online sales	No
Required label statement	“Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations.”
Nutrition Facts panel	Not required unless you make a nutrient claim
Administered by	Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection
Governing law	COMAR 10.15.03 (Cottage Food Business Rule)

What Maryland lets you sell from home

Maryland’s cottage food rule, administered by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), covers a business that produces or packages cottage food products in a residential kitchen where the products are “non-potentially hazardous food” as further specified in COMAR 10.15.03.27 (COMAR 10.15.03.02, via Cornell Law). In practice, that means shelf-stable items that don’t need refrigeration to stay safe: non-perishable baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes without perishable fillings), non-perishable candies, high-acid jams and jellies at or below pH 4.6, fruit leathers, and repackaged commercial spice blends (MDH cottage food guidelines, PDF). It excludes perishable baked goods, beverages, dairy, meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, raw seed sprouts, and acidified or pickled products. Anything that needs refrigeration or time-and-temperature control falls outside the exemption. This is a general description, not a full product list; check MDH’s own guidance for a specific product before relying on it.

Permits, registration, and the revenue cap

There’s no license or registration to file with MDH for direct-to-consumer cottage food sales, and no fee. That changes only if you want to sell into a retail food store: MDH’s guidelines describe submitting materials for review and getting written confirmation of compliance before those sales begin, at no cost (MDH cottage food guidelines, PDF). The revenue side is where the near-term change sits. As of this writing, Maryland caps cottage food business revenue at $50,000 in annual gross sales. That rises on 1 Oct 2026, when House Bill 535, “Food Establishments – Cottage Food Businesses – Maximum Annual Revenue,” takes effect. HB 535 passed the Maryland General Assembly unanimously (House 136-0, Senate 42-0) and was enacted as Chapter 320 (HB0535 legislative history). The enacted text keeps the existing structure and simply raises the number: a cottage food business is one that “has annual revenues from the sale of cottage food products in an amount not exceeding $100,000” (Chapter 320, enrolled), measured on cottage food revenue, not profit, and not in effect until that October date.

Where you can sell

Maryland’s rule allows products to be “sold in the State directly to a consumer from a residence, at a farmer’s market, at a public event, by personal delivery, or by mail delivery” (COMAR 10.15.03, per MDH cottage food guidelines, PDF). Beyond direct-to-consumer channels, Maryland also permits sales directly to retail food stores (grocery stores, convenience stores, retail bakeries, and food co-ops) in the product’s original packaging, once MDH has reviewed the business and confirmed compliance. What isn’t covered: MDH’s guidance materials treat general internet sales as falling under a licensed food service facility rather than the unlicensed cottage food model, so listing products for sale online to the general public sits outside this exemption even though mail delivery to an in-state buyer is allowed. Interstate commerce is out entirely: sales have to stay inside Maryland.

What has to be on the label

Every Maryland cottage food package needs, per COMAR 10.15.03 and MDH’s cottage food guidelines:

Common or usual name of the product
Ingredients listed in descending order by weight
Net weight, count, or volume
Business name and address (or a unique ID number, if you request one instead of publishing your address)
Allergen information, per federal labeling requirements
The required disclosure statement, verbatim
For retail store sales specifically: a phone number, email address, and production date

“Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland’s food safety regulations.”

This must appear “in 10-point type or larger, in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background of the label” (COMAR 10.15.03; MDH cottage food guidelines).

When you need a Nutrition Facts panel

A few things move your Maryland cottage food product onto a standard Nutrition Facts label built under 21 CFR 101.9:

You cross the revenue cap. Exceeding $50,000 in annual gross cottage food sales today (rising to $100,000 on 1 Oct 2026) takes your business outside the cottage food classification and into standard, licensed food-establishment territory.
You sell out of state. Maryland’s cottage food rule covers in-state sales only; shipping or selling across state lines isn’t covered by it.
You make a claim. MDH’s own guidance flags that nutritional information becomes necessary if a health claim is made. A package or an ad that says “low sodium,” “good source of fiber,” or any other nutrient content or health claim needs a compliant panel behind it, cap or no cap.

That’s where NutriLabels fits once one of those applies, or once a co-packer or retail buyer asks for a panel outright. With a panel ready, the retail store MDH has cleared you to sell to gets its answer the day it asks. Enter your recipe, then see your label: the calorie count, the nutrient content claims you qualify for and your allergen line show free, no card required, while every other value and %DV stays hidden until you unlock it. $29 unlocks every other nutrient value and %DV, every FDA format your product qualifies for, plus the ingredient statement and allergen declaration, with 12 months of edits included and downloads that never expire. Start your label, or compare Maryland with other states’ cottage food laws.

Maryland cottage food FAQ

Do I need a permit to sell cottage food in Maryland?

No, not for direct-to-consumer sales. Maryland's cottage food business rule doesn't require a license or registration for that. Selling to a retail food store is different: you submit materials to the Maryland Department of Health for review and need written confirmation of compliance first (MDH cottage food guidelines).

What is Maryland's cottage food revenue cap?

$50,000 in annual gross cottage food sales today, rising to $100,000 on 1 Oct 2026 under House Bill 535 (Chapter 320). It's measured on revenue from cottage food sales, not profit.

What exact disclosure does a Maryland cottage food label need?

\"Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations,\" in 10-point type or larger, in a color that clearly contrasts with the label background (COMAR 10.15.03).

Can I sell my Maryland cottage food products online?

Generally no. MDH's cottage food guidance treats internet sales as requiring a licensed food service facility rather than falling under the unlicensed cottage food model, though mail and personal delivery to an in-state customer are allowed.

Can a Maryland cottage food business sell to grocery stores?

Yes, with a step most states don't offer: Maryland allows sales directly to retail food stores in original packaging once MDH has reviewed your materials and confirmed compliance.

When does a Maryland cottage food maker need a real Nutrition Facts panel?

Once a package or ad makes a nutrient content or health claim, once your sales cross the revenue cap, or once you sell outside Maryland. Any of those moves your product past the cottage food exemption and into standard 21 CFR 101.9 labeling.

Nearby states

Selling into a neighboring state means that state’s rules apply there: Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware. See the full state-by-state table.

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